The Answer
by Ashlyn Braere
Summary: The Host Club helps find the answer.


_This just came to me when I was listening to the soundtrack for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland._

Erin has been having a hard time lately. Her boyfriend has started drinking almost nightly, instead of just on the weekends. He has started yelling at her at almost any little thing, always making it her fault. He made her move away from her family and friends, very much against their wishes. He had started out being so wonderful, and now he made her lonely and scared. One of her escapes has been the internet. While he was drinking, she'd be on her laptop. Fortunately, that had escaped his destructive streak.

She had been reading a manga about Ouran High School Host Club. It was interesting the way everyone cared for one another and helped each other out, never letting one of them slip through the cracks. She wished she had someone like that now.

She was tired and he was still out in the living room drinking. She shut her computer down and laid down for sleep on their bed. She could hear her boyfriend in the next room, laughing loudly at something stupid on their tv.

As she fell asleep, she couldn't help but think what her life would be like if she had friends again.

… -.- …

Erin woke up feeling that something was different. It wasn't quiet, but the noises were shushed. She could feel the material under her arms was different, a little scratchier than sheets, but still soft. She opened her eyes wondering what happened. There, sitting in front of her, were the host club in their poses.

"Welcome" they chorused, each holding out a hand to her. She sat up and looked around. She was on one of their couches in the middle of their massive room. Everything else was pushed back. Instead of the Host Club facing their doors, they were facing her.

Tamaki leaned forward, with that welcoming smile still on his face, held out his hand and said, "We'll always help a lady in need."

Kyoya stepped forward, his notebook in one hand, his pen poised in the other. "What do you want to do?"

Honey skipped up to her and pointed to several cakes. "Well?" he asked. "What do you want?"

Haruhi took her turn. "We'll listen to what you want." She took Erin's hand and pulled her up.

Suddenly they were all at the beach. The boys were playing in the waves tossing a beach ball around. Erin could hear them laughing and shouting at each other.

Haruhi still had hold of her hand and gave a gentle pull. "Let's go." Funny, but that almost sounded like 'Let go'. Erin looked back at the waves and smiled at Haruhi. The two ran to join the boys.

Just as they were about to reach the water, Erin tripped. She never hit the ground. Two strong arms were wrapped around her, and she looked up to see the face of Mori.

He set her on her feet and stepped back.

"Thank you," she said to him. She turned to get in the water again, but the water wasn't there. They were in a field. She could hear laughter, and she turned to look for it. Off in the distance, she could see Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru, and Honey running around with a ball.

Mori laid a hand on her arm and pointed. There was Kyoya with his laptop open in front of him. He was sitting next to a huge picnic blanket, loaded with food.

Mori guided her over and helped her sit down. "What do you want?" he asked.

She looked down at the food; it all looked wonderful. Just as she was opening her mouth to say something, she heard a shout and something hard knocked into the side of her.

She looked up to Hikaru's apologetic smiling face. "Sorry about that," he said. Kaoru came up behind him. They both held out their hands and helped her up. She looked down to see if any food had been damaged, but it wasn't there. She looked up to see they were in another room; this one filled with racks and racks of clothes. To one side was a vanity filled with makeup and hair accessories. She saw Tamaki bouncing and waving his hands around. He was holding up some clothes to Kyoya and Haruhi. She saw Honey looking through some clothes with Mori standing close by.

Hikaru and Kaoru pulled her towards one of the racks. "What do you want?" they asked in stereo.

Suddenly, Tamaki was next to her. He reached a hand out to her chin and turned her to face him. "Everyone deserves to be happy," he said. He stepped back and everyone was standing around her. They were back in the Music Room.

"What do you want?" Tamaki asked.

Suddenly, the room spun around, only to stop and focus on Kyoya. She could smell paper. "Well?" he asked.

The room spun again, this time stopping on Honey. She could smell frosting. "Well?" he asked.

The room spun again, this time stopping on Haruhi. She could smell saltwater. "Well?" she asked.

The room spun again, this time stopping on Mori. She could smell grass. "Well?" he asked.

The room spun again, this time stopping on the Twins. She could smell makeup. "Well?" they asked.

The room spun again, this time turning white. When it stopped, everything was white. In the distance in front of her, Erin could see her family, her friends.

Tamaki came around from behind her to stand off to the side. He didn't block her view. "Well?" he asked softly. She turned to look at him fully. "What do you want?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes ….

… -.- …

… to find that she was back in her bedroom. She could hear her boyfriend in the living room. He was again laughing at the tv. She could hear him throw something across the room and break. She thought back to her dream.

"_What do you want?"_

She looked over to the pictures that her boyfriend could never get her to get rid of. Her family. Her friends.

She got up, walked over to their closet, grabbed her bag and started packing.


End file.
